Rolands Šmits

Rolands Šmits (born June 25, 1995) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the LKL and the EuroLeague. At a height of 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in), and a weight of 107 kg (235 lbs),[1][2] he primarily plays at the power forward position, but can also play as small ball center.

Rolands Šmits
Šmits with FC Barcelona in 2022
No. 10 – Žalgiris Kaunas
PositionPower forward
LeagueLKL
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1995-06-25) June 25, 1995
Valmiera, Latvia
NationalityLatvian
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2017: undrafted
Playing career2012–present
Career history
2012–2017Montakit Fuenlabrada
2012–2013→ Óbila
2013–2014→ Fundacion Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
2014–2015→ Viten Getafe Fuenlabrada
2017–2022FC Barcelona
2017–2018→ Montakit Fuenlabrada
2022–presentŽalgiris Kaunas
Career highlights and awards

Early career

Šmits came up through the junior youth ranks of the Latvian club BK Valmiera. He left his native Latvia, for Spain in 2011. He joined the Spanish club Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, and played for their feeder team in the amateur Spanish fourth-tier level Liga EBA, in the 2011–12 season.

Professional career

Šmits made his debut in the Spanish top-tier level Liga ACB, with Fuenlabrada, during the 2012–13 season, while also seeing action for Grupo Eulen Carrefour El Bulevar de Ávila, in the country’s third-tier division LEB Plata, that same season. From 2013 to 2015, he primarily played for Fuenlabrada's reserve team in LEB Plata sides Fundación Baloncesto Fuenlabrada and the affiliated team Viten Getafe respectively.[3] But, he also earned increasing playing minutes in the top-tier level ACB.

In the 2016–17 season, Šmits won the European-wide 2nd-tier level EuroCup's Rising Star Award,[4] after shooting 55.1% from the field overall, 60.4% from 2 point field goal range, and 48.8% from 3 point field goal range, while averaging 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.6 steals per game,[5] with Fuenlabrada during the EuroCup season.

On 18 September 2017, Šmits signed a five-year contract with FC Barcelona, but stayed on loan at Fuenlabrada until the summer of 2018.[6] On 30 June 2022, Šmits parted ways with Barcelona after his contract with the club expired.[7] Over four seasons with Barça from 2018 to 2022, Šmits averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in the EuroLeague, along with 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in the Liga ACB, mostly serving as a backup for Nikola Mirotić.

On 3 July 2022, Šmits signed a two-year contract with Žalgiris Kaunas of the LKL and the EuroLeague.[8] On 25 May 2023, Šmits agreed on a three-year contract extension until 2026, with opt-out clauses after each season.[9][10]

International career

Šmits competed with Latvia's junior national teams at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, and at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship and 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He also played with Latvia's junior national team at the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship and at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.[11][12]

Šmits received his first cap with the senior men's Latvian national basketball team in 2014. In 2017, Šmits competed with the Latvian national team at the EuroBasket 2017 tournament, averaging 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds as the team finished 5th overall.

Awards and accomplishments

Club
FC Barcelona
Žalgiris Kaunas

Individual

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2018–19 Barcelona 14011.5.389.370.9091.6.5.3.24.43.5
2019–20 16109.9.442.474.7501.8.3.1.13.12.2
2020–21 41815.9.573.396.7673.2.6.4.25.56.0
2021–22 36314.8.477.196.9203.1.6.4.14.44.8
2022–23 Žalgiris 373623.3.491.383.8554.71.1.4.19.79.4
Career 1445716.4.495.355.8413.3.7.3.15.95.9

References
  1. ROLANDS SMITS HEIGHT: 6'10.0" (208 cm) WEIGHT: 235 lbs (107 kg).
  2. Rolands Smits Ht: 6-10 Wt: 235.
  3. "Federación Española de Baloncesto - Competiciones FEB". competiciones.feb.es. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  4. 2016-17 7DAYS EuroCup Rising Star Trophy winner: Rolands Smits, Montakit Fuenlabrada.
  5. SMITS, ROLANDS EuroCup 2016-17 STATISTICS.
  6. "Agreement for the transfer of Rolands Smits to Barça Lassa". FC Barcelona. 18 September 2017.
  7. "Smits, Davies and Hayes-Davis to leave FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  8. "Former Barcelona big man Rolands Smits signs with Zalgiris". Žalgiris. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  9. "Zalgiris reaches contract extension with Rolands Smits". Žalgiris. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  10. "Rolands Smits signs contract extension at Zalgiris until 2026". EuroLeague. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  11. "Rolands Smits | EuroBasket (2015) | FIBA Europe". www.fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  12. Rolands SMITS (LAT).
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